The Sing-Off 5: Holiday Special Edition

The most underrated reality singing competition is back just for one night, and somehow, it's better than nothing to be honest. But yes, The Sing-Off, tops everything else if it's just based on pure singing talent! Seriously.The talent pool is, once again, impressive and the performances were really good. It's a tad short, but again, it's better than nothing.

Also, the show got the BEST JUDGES EVER! Ben Folds was definitely missed this season, but Jewel was knowledgeable enough to compensate for the technical judging, which was incredible. They all know their stuff and they give articulate and constructive criticisms. Patrick Stump was no Ben Folds, but he's fine.

On with the show!

SIGNATURE SONG

06. Timothy's Gift
Ghost
This was decent. There were some good voices in the mix, but the arrangement felt sluggish, the bass and percussion, which Jewel mentioned, was seriously lacking that it compromised the overall effect of their sound, and the upper register of one singer veered towards the screechy territory towards the end. This wasn't bad, but I expect better. 6

05. Traces
River Deep Mountain High
Not a fan of the lead singer, the arrangement was a tad choppy, and everything sounded loud. I don't know. The stage presence and charisma was there, and they tried to put interesting twists to the song, but things just didn't work for me. 6

04. A Squared
Pompeii
I'm not an acapella purist like Shawn, but I seriously think the loop pedal took some of the magic away from their performance. It was fun and innovative, but the added machine made the experience less impressive. 7 

03. Melodores
Trumpet
College groups aren't usually my cup of tea, and while this performance didn't change that fact, this one was a lot tighter than some of the other groups' performances. The harmonies were, for the most part, spot on, and I honestly get the technical proficiency of this. That said, there was just too much going on with the arrangement that I lost the melody of the song towards the end. 7.5

02. San Fran6
Break Free
Their lead vocalist wasn't entirely fantastic, but the intricate arrangement and layer of sound gave the performance that much needed dynamics. The groove was laid back and they kept it flowing the whole song. 7.5

01. The Exchange
Love Runs Out
Pretty good. The solo vocals sounded mostly on point from top to bottom, and they brought enough intensity and edge to make the song work, and everyone backed each other up really well. Plus, the harmonies were faultless. 8

JUDGES' CHOICE

03. Traces

I'm Every Woman

A Whiteney Houston song? Really? To be fair, this one sounded a lot better than their first performance with a lot more solid arrangement and an intact melody, but I was still a little baffled with their inclusion in the Top 3. 6.5

02. The Exchange

Sing

Three. Part. Harmony. Wow. Everything worked in this performance. They covered the full range of dynamics and harmonized beautifully while maintaining the intensity, groove, and rhythm of the song. Great job. 9

01. Melodores

Take Me To Church
Absolutely fantastic! The arrangement was awesome, the modulation was great, and I enjoyed the simplicity of it all. Oh, and the lead vocalist was sensational. How things exploded towards the end was a fabulous way to end the show. 9.5

WINNER

Melodores